KTRK-13’s Wayne Dolcefino (aka undercoverman) has been poking around into Harris County affairs again, this time discovering something interesting about the ranch home of Sheriff Tommy Thomas. Here’s an excerpt:
You know who helped with the design of some the sheriff’s ranch house? It was Leroy Hermes. The architecture firm he founded now has the contract to design the new 1,100 bed county jail off Atascosita Road. A jail project the sheriff plays a role in approving.
“I’m sure I agreed to it, but I don’t recall whether I signed off on it, I just don’t recall,” he said.
Thomas says Hermes volunteered to help redesign the sheriffs house plans to avoid removing huge live oak trees on the property.
“He doesn’t design houses, he designs buildings,” Thomas said. “It’s a hobby and he said he’d be honored if he could help, I said ok.”
I asked how much that would cost in the private sector.
“I have no idea,” he responded.
The sheriff says the offer was made from one good friend to another, not because of the county business Hermes’ firm would eventually solicit.
“This has nothing to do with any contracts with Harris County,” Thomas said.
Thomas says he’s been friends with Hermes 15 years.
“Leroy is a good friend, he was doing it out of the goodness of his heart, I don’t think there was anything more to it than that,” Thomas told us.
The remainder of Dolcefino’s report gets even more interesting.
For those who still aren’t clear why it’s so interesting, Dolcefino elaborates on his blog:
For the record, I could care less where the Sheriff lives. Or where his second house is. Even though it’s nice to see a career lawman and government official with $1 million worth of property, including a $500,000 retirement house on it.
Why the public has a right to know is because the sheriff acknowledges he got help with the architectural plans for the house from Leroy Hermes, the founder of the architectural firm the Sheriff OKed to build the new jail. He says “Leroy” and him have been friends for years, and maybe you’re just fine with the Sheriff’s good friend getting the deal for the new $33 million jail.
Should he have recused himself from the process because his good friend was involved? Should we care that Hermes PAC gave the Sheriff the largest political contribution days after the company got the deal? Should we care that the same deal had to be approved by the Commissioner of Precinct 4, Jerry Eversole, and that the plans for Eversole’s house have the architectural stamp of — guess who? — Leroy Hermes. Should government officials have to disclose when people they’ve done business with get contracts with the government?
I don’t care where the Sheriff has a weekend house. Why won’t he and Commissioner Eversole disclose the extent of their financial relationships with County contractors? Why won’t he and the commissioner say how much they paid for Leroy hermes services? Was it fair market value
